Tips for Newbies: This information is no substitute for reading the book, Sugar
Busters!® Cut Sugar to Trim Fat. The information contained herein is copyrighted
by Sugar Busters LLC and may not be copied or distributed. It was summarized
from comments on the Sweetalk Message Board and information in Sugar Busters!
Cut Sugar to Trim Fat®. Thanks to Kim Harding and Linda Davis for preparing
this summary.

Sugars:

Sugar Busters!® is a LOW sugar, not a NO sugar way of eating (WOE). With
that said, you should avoid sugars as much as possible. This includes honey,
molasses, corn syrup, cornstarch, modified food starch, dextrose, polydextrose,
maltodextrin, etc. The more you avoid, the better off you will be. It is very
difficult to avoid some of these items, especially dextrose, modified food
starch and maltodextrin, so if you do want to eat something that contains
these ingredients, make sure they are far down on the ingredients list AND...

Contain 3 grams of sugar or less per serving. Fruit products
(including tomatoes) are an exception here if the only sugars come from the
fruit, not added sugar. Check the ingredients list to see if there is any added
sugar. Anything ending in -ose is usually a sugar, as well as honey, corn
syrup, etc., as stated above. Dairy is also an exception if the sugars come
from lactose, and are not added sugars; but be wary of dairy, especially milk,
as it does cause some people to stall. If you are not losing, try cutting back
on dairy products.

Legal Sweeteners:

You may use artificial sweeteners such as Sweet n’
Low, Splenda and Nutrasweet. Acceptable natural sweeteners are stevia, trutina
dulcem (kiwi sweetener) and agave nectar. Sugar-free pancake syrup can also be
used as a sweetener. Corn based fructose is not allowed.

Starchy Carbohydrates:

Starchy carbohydrates are breads, crackers, grains, cereals,
sweet potatoes and yams, and pasta. On this plan you can have 2-3 servings of
starchy carbs per day. A serving is:

Acceptable pastas are whole-wheat pasta and 100% hard durum semolina pasta.
Pasta should be cooked al dente. Pastas made with non-wheat flours are
acceptable provided they are whole-grain.

Tortillas:

Corn and white flour tortillas are not acceptable. Whole-wheat tortillas
are ok as long as they don’t also contain enriched flour and they also
fall within the 3 grams of sugar rule.

Vegetables:

Vegetables are you best friend on this plan. You can eat
just about all the vegetables you want, with the exception of potatoes (sweet
potatoes and yams are acceptable), corn or corn products, beets, turnips,
parsnips, or rutabagas. Try to incorporate as many legal vegetables as
possible into your diet. Vegetables can be fresh, frozen or canned, but fresh
is best. Pickled vegetables and olives are allowed provided they don’t
contain more than 3 grams of sugar per serving. Sweet pickles and sweet pickle
relish are not.

Beans: Sugar Busters!® regards beans as vegetables although
they are a good source of protein and are high in starchy carbohydrates. If
you are eating beans plus 3 servings of starchy carbs per day and not losing,
you may want to reduce your starchy carb intake on the days you eat beans
to account for the amount of carbohydrates in the beans.

Carrots: The Sugar Busters!® books state that carrots
are not acceptable. Since the books were published, new testing has revealed
that the results of the original glycemic testing weren’t accurate and
the glycemic value for carrots is much lower than originally thought. Raw
carrots can now be eaten freely and cooked carrots may be consumed in moderation.

Fruits:

Most fruits are acceptable with the exception of watermelon,
raisins, pineapple, and bananas. One hundred percent, no-sugar added fruit
juices are acceptable in moderation and count towards your fruit consumption.
All-fruit and no-sugar added jams and jellies are acceptable. Avocados are a
fruit and are acceptable. You may consume up to three servings of fruit a day.
If you experience digestive problems from eating fruits with other foods, try
eating them ½ hour before or 2 hours after a meal.

Protein:

Make sure you eat enough protein. Divide your current weight by 2.2 to get
the number of grams of protein you need to eat per day. If necessary, protein
powder with no carbohydrates can be added to beverages or on foods to
supplement protein intake. Remember that almost all foods contain some amount
of protein so you need to account for them in your daily protein count as well
as the obvious ones like meats, eggs, dairy, etc. It is a good idea to get
hold of a good nutritional breakdown chart or find a website that gives
nutritional information to determine just how much protein you are consuming.
A good website to use is http://www.caloriecountercharts.com/

Choose low fat or fat free dairy products that are within the 3 grams of sugar per serving range.
This applies to all dairy products: cheeses, cream, milk, half and half, cream
cheese, sour cream, unsweetened yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. (Milk note: Milk
causes insulin spikes in some people. If you find you are not losing weight,
try cutting back on the amount of milk/cream/half and half you are consuming).

Fats/Oils:

Healthy fats are essential for health. Use olive oil,
peanut oil, canola oil, walnut oil, etc. on your foods. Butter is acceptable
in moderation. Avoid man-made fats such as margarine, shortening, and other
hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils as well as rancid fats,
transfatty acids, and homogenized fats.

Beverages:

Water is the beverage of choice. Try to consume 8-12
eight-ounce glasses per day. Diet colas, flavored waters (the sugar free
type), no-sugar added fruit juices (which are counted as portions of daily
fruit allotment), tea and coffee are acceptable. (Coffee: there have been
conflicting studies that indicate regular (non-decaffeinated) coffee may
increase insulin production in some individuals. If you find you are consuming
coffee and not losing weight, try cutting back or eliminating it from your diet
for awhile and see if that helps you start losing.). Dry red and white wines
are acceptable on this plan with red being the first choice. No other alcohol is
allowed.

Condiments:

Vinegar based salad dressings are your best choice for salads
because the acid in the vinegar helps lower the glycemic value of the food
you are eating. The same holds true for lemon juice. Other salad dressings
are acceptable, provided they comply with the 3-grams of sugar or less rule.
Remember that Sugar Busters!® recommends limiting fat consumption.

While most packaged seasoning mixes contain maltodextrin,
they may be used in moderation as long as the sugar content follows the 3-grams
or less rule. This is because the small amount of maltodextrin dispersed
through the entire item you are making would not be enough to significantly
raise the glycemic index of individual portions.

- Think fiber! Try to add low-carb, allowed vegetables to every meal, even
breakfast, if desired. Try an omelet with veggies and low fat cheese. At lunch
and dinner, try to have 2 vegetables (salad and cooked or raw veggie). Bulk up
your 1/2-cup allowed pasta or rice servings with added veggies for a more
filling meal.

- Try adding some no-sugar added jam and legal sweetener to your yogurt if
you prefer the pre-sweetened types.

- Exercise! Even if it's just a walk around the block. Start out slowly and
build up. Also add a light weight lifting routine when possible to help
increase muscle mass and burn fat.

- Take a good, all-purpose vitamin and mineral supplement every day.

- Get enough sleep, and reduce stress whenever possible.

- Join a support group or an eGroup for extra encouragement, motivation, and
assistance.

- Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up a bit. Just get right back on
track with your very next meal.

- At first, if you feel hungry or experience withdrawal symptoms, go ahead
and eat all you want of the legal foods. Once you're used to the program, then
focus on portion control. An appropriate portion size is usually measured as
food that will fit in the center of an average-sized plate, with no food on the
ridges or hanging over.